Writing Remix

Theodore Wisham Jr.

Dr. drGravelles

English 1

12 April, 2013

Writing Remix

ESPN Magazine Presents:

Theodore Wisham

(An interview with this star football player.)

An interview of A future football star with one of the best.

Deion Sanders: Man I’ve watched some of your highlights and you just light the field up. Plus you are only in ninth grade.

Me: Yes sir.

Deion Sanders: Tell me about you. Physical, your mindset towards the game, and how it all started.

Me: I’m 5 ft. 9 in and 185 pounds. Football has always been something I love and I take being good at it as a blessing and I work hard to succeed at doing it. It all started with playing flag football for the Baton Rouge Raiders, I used to play at home with my older brothers and my love for the game kept growing.

Deion Sanders:  What’s your favorite position to play?

Me: I can’t really decide, I like running the ball while playing running back and I like to hit people while playing defense.

Deion Sanders: How is it playing high school football?

Me: I think of it as a great opportunity, but I was sort of disappointed when I wasn’t able to play varsity because of LHSAA rules. But, I took JV football as a chance to grow and become a better player.

Deion Sanders: That’s good man. How did the season go?

Me: We ended the season with six wins and two losses. Sadly I have a setback with a sprained AC joint, but I’m ready for next season. I’ve been working hard and I’m ready to start something great at Episcopal.

Deion Sanders: Man you definitely sound like you are going to be a great player and I can’t wait to see you play.

Hits and Misses

Theodore Wisham Jr.

Dr. deGravelles

English 1

12 April, 2013

Hits and Misses

Hits:

1.       Research Paper

2.       Free Blog Post: MLK Day

Misses:

1.       Literacy Narrative

2.       Literary Analysis

Cover Letter

Theodore Wisham Jr.

Dr. deGravelles

English I

29 April, 2013

Cover Letter

Dear My Classmates,

            This project was very interesting and it helped me look back on the year and the writing I have did. The other portions of this portfolio; the Essay Revision, Writing Remix, and Hits and Misses, all helped with seeing my progress of writing this year and how I improved. The Essay Revision, was very helpful, I revised my Research Paper. It was my best paper, but I chose to revise it because I wanted to recognize any problems I had with writing before entering my sophomore school year and it was great to see hat one of my peers said about it. It was a great experience in the writing center; I learned a few things about avoiding common mistakes, and ways to put my thoughts together, because comma splices are a problem I have. The writing remix was the most enjoyable project because I transformed two blog posts together to one thing, which was an ESPN interview with one of the greatest football players ever, Deion Sanders. I imagined myself on an ESPN set actually being interviewed by him and focused it towards an audience of football critics and fans that read the ESPN Sports magazines. The project “Hits and Misses” was the easiest, I just chose two assignments that I really enjoyed writing and for misses two assignments that I thought I didn’t do so well on. 

         In the beginning of the school year, writing wasn’t my strongest subject or assignment but this school year has changed that all. I used to make many mistakes, mostly with comma splices, run-ons, and punctuation. Throughout the school year and writing three different papers, my writing has completely accelerated. Our last writing assignment was the research paper, and I did very well. I have only a few minor comma splices and small punctuation mistakes. I’ve learned that I’m a writer that has many thoughts but has to put them all together. This can be a great thing, but it can also be very hard if I don’t control them, and they can become comma splices and run on sentences. Another Strength I have is giving a lot of detail on each idea that I put into a paper. Having background information and details to back up your thoughts, all help your paper and helps the reader has a better understanding of your paper. The best part of my writing always tends to be my introduction because it’s very interesting and makes you keep reading, but I lose a lot of that energy in my paper.

         My writing has progressed a lot since the beginning of the school year, but I still have to double check on some problems I have with comma splices, punctuation, and run-ons. My main ideas on improving them are going back to the writing center because it was so helpful, and using tips that I learned this year to avoid comma splices and run on sentences. This year was a great year of writing progression wise, my first paper wasn’t very good, but I progressed and learned and did very good on my research paper.

Sincerely,

Theodore Wisham Jr

Post for 8/25

Exemption for Crank
MON. FULL COURT PRESS PG. 0;68. 1 HR. 30 MIN.
TUES. pg. 68- 200 2 hours

Nervous Conditions

      Deciding if the students next year should read this book or not is very hard. Because us as students don't want to use our opinions and that might not been the best thing. Although I believe the students next year should read Nervous Conditions becauae the book really goes with the main idea of the year, which was culture and way of survival, both in Nervous Conditions and Lord of the Flies.
      Nervous Conditions wasn't the most interesting book to me, but it worked well into the chapter.  Wr had discussions about the book and the Layer Projects. The Layer Projects were hard for me, but I got the hang of it. I thought it was hard at one point but it really fit the syllabus because Nervous Conditions resembled a different culture and way of living.
    

Thing I want..

      If I could have one thing, that one thing would be power. Not power to rule and be king, but power to make things change. Make both big, dramatic changes and changes small changes, that affect a small amount of people. Power is very hard to get, but using it properly and making positive changes is harder. I want power to change things for a family in need, to changing things that our whole planet has trouble with. Power to make a difference in people's lives and try to be as fair and helpful as I can.

       Power can be at different levels, and there are different kinds of power. In Nervous Conditions, Tambu just wanted power over herself and her family. She was willing not to get married so, her husband wouldn't have power over her. For power to change millions of people's lives, I would do anything. Martin Luther King faced death, arrest, and racism to gain power to make a change, and to be able to get power and make differences in people's lives would be a great achievement.

Reading Times
Monday: pg 0- 100, 40 minutes
Tuesday pg. 100- 300, 1 hour and 15minutes
Wednesday" 300- Endof book, 1 hr, and 45 min. 

Poem

Sports

Dribbling a Ball down the Court

Sprinting down a Track

Running free for a Touchdown

Without these things I wouldn't be me

Without these things i'll be missing part of my Soul

Through the legs crossover, to the goal

Step back jumper for Three!

These are a few things for me

Waiting for the ball

to be kicked off the tee

Down! Set! Hut!

Running through the hole before it gets shut

Pushing out the blocks

Like a bullet out a glock

Faster! Faster! Faster!

These things are all made for me 

And playing all Three is meant for me.

1. Repetition 

2. Imagery

3. Simile 

Expectations

      I think everyone acts differently around different people. Its a natural thing. When im around adults I act differently than when im around people my age. I may talk with "slangs" or sayings teeanagers say. But, when im around adults I may talk more formal or proper. I also act differently, that's expected.  I don' t play as much or be as wild when im around adults.
          Although, I act even more differently depending on where I am. At church I am very quiet and calm, while at school I may not be as calm, but at homr or in drama class; I can just be me. I'm not as loud or active as i am in P.E., History, or Drama than i am in English, Spanish, or Biology. The classes aren't as loose or strict.

Free Post

All of my later free post were on football, but sadly football is over. So, why not keep the sports chain going. Track at Episcopal is very fun and I likes it alot. Coach Dupe is an awesome Coach, he definantly knows what he's doing.  It's been going very well, I have the fastest 100 time in jv, and this Friday I plan on trying to beat the freshman record.
       I also run the 4x100, 4x200, and long jump. Our 4x100 did very good last week, we actually ran a faster time than the varsity 4x100. Our 4x200 didn't do as well, our two fastest jv runners ran fist and second, then the relay fell apart.
I did ok in the long jump. I wanted to beat my personal best from last year, but I came up a little short. I've been working really hard and I think it will pay off. 

Nyasha's Perspective (Persona )

      I had a lot of fun at the Christmas party, although before I left for the party, Babamukuru made a big fuss about what I was wearing. I dont care what he thinks, i'm old enough to make my own decisions. I'm happy my mom has my back, if it wasn't for her I would be trapped. She helped me alot by persuading dad that my dress was appropriate. But, the party was fantastic and I met Andy who walked us home, but my fun ended quickly. I was talking with Andy in the driveway when Babamukuru appeared.
     He just started to hit me, all i was doing was talking to Andy! He punched me twice, so I punch him straight in the eye. He just started to hit and beat me. He called me a whore! then tries to kill me. I hate him. If Chido didn't pull him off of me, I would be dead. I start back smoking cigarettes and stop eating. I don't care about anything, but just want to get away from the homestead and Babamukuru.

C-layer 1 Refelection

      This Layer project is totally new to me and I've never did anything like it, so I didnt know how to "attack" it or start it. Now i see the most important thing, while doing this project and reading this book and doing this project is understanding the book and managing your time. I tried to read chapters 1-5 then do the project, but I found out thats not the best way. When I tried doing the layer after reading, it was harder for me to manage my time and I ended up staying up all night trying to finish C-Layer 1.
       For C-Layer 2 I plan on trying to do the project as I read the book. Especially reading guides, I will read a chapter then do the reading guide for the chapter. Reading guides have been the most helpful for me, because they make me pay attention to all details and understand the things within the book. The reading guides don't just ask what happened or who did this, but what was the significance ofthe event or person id. It forces me to think deeply into the story.

Reading Times:

Tuesday: Reading Chapter 3 -35 minutes
Wednesday- Chapter 4 - 45 minutes and Reading guides 45 min.
Thursday: Chapter 5 and half of chapter 6  - 55 minutes and Reading Guides 1 hr.

Research Paper Response

     While doing my research paper, I didnt have any major problems, besides putting all my quotes and information into the paper. I had a very good topic, that i was very much interested in, and i found alot of information on it. It was also something I can relate to, because i've seen people betting on my football games. But there wasn't that many completely different sources. I mainly used eight different sources, simply because the other sources just stated information that I already had. Through the sources I did use, they gave lots of information; from backgroung information, opinions, events that led up to this big idea, people who were involved, and also interviews.
     The peer review groups helped out a lot, because they gave me tips on how to do many different things in my paper. From the outlines to the draft, the peer review helped me see if I was on track. Although, one thing i would change, I would go to the writing center. I think that would help even more, because they can show me how to actually put the quotes and research into my paper effectively. My peers gave great feedback, but I think I should have put more quotes and background information into my paper. My strongest aspect or part to my writing would be my introduction and reason, but i can work on my writing skills where i put information into the paper more thoughtfully.

Due: 2/25

Reading Time (Research)

Tuesday: 1 hour Notecards, and watching and analyzing a video (interview).
Wednesday: 35 min. Notecards
Thursday: 25 min. Notecards
Friday: 30 min. Notecards
Saturday: 30 min. Watching the Sports Center story on gambling at the youth's games.

Research Paper

       My research topic is based on the Gambling Ring in South Florida, where adults gamble on youth football games. My research question is " What is the affect on the youth athletes when adults are gambling on them and their games?" This topic was brought to me, one Sunday morning when I was watching ESPN Outside The Lines, and they had a story of parents gambling on these kids' football games. When choosing topics, I remembered the TV show and decided to research it. I've learned that these men gamble thousands of dollars on these game, authorities say their was more than $100,000 gambled on one championship game. There was a fake barbershop where adults went to go gambled and conduct point spreads on games.
       Gambling is a big problem that people in our world face today, but gambling on youth football games is more than just a problem for the gamblers, it causes problems for the kids who are playing. My research topic is based on A Gambling ring in Deerfield, Florida, where adults gamble, make point spreads, and pay kids for making big plays or big hits during their football games. These adults gamble hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars on single games. This is how I conducted my research question " What is the effect of gambling on the youth athletes when adults are gambling on them and their football games?" Through interviews and reports, it has a dramatic affect on some of these kids, a lot of them have single mothers, so when men pay them to play football, they take it because they see it as a way to get money. So now they are able to have things that they normally wouldn't. These kids get into being paid for playing football, that they don't focus on school and they get into the streets and get involved with things that can get them in trouble. This huge gambling ring was allegedly ran by Brandon Bivins, or coach B, who is the president of the Fort Lauderdale Hurricanes, one of the best teams in the league. Bivins was arrested for bookmarking, and conduct an illegal operation. He ran a fake barbershop where adults gambled on games, and he was getting the most money out of most of them.

Tues. Research, citing sources- 45 min.
Wedn. Research, siting source, notecard- 1 hour.
Thurs. Research, Citing, annotating Bibliographies- 1 hour 30 min
Sat.- Research, Notecards- 30 min.

Reading Response

         My research project is going preety well so far. I' ve been getting some very nice sources and information. My topic was a vwry latge sports case in South Florida, so I have different kinds of sources. My primary sources are from a 30 min. Video, where there are a few men who either gambled, was gambled on, or was a part of the league and witnessed gambling over youth football games. My aecondary sources are mostly articles from Sports Center, Espn, and Espn OTL. All thede Sports channels research and develop sports stories. I also have a sport center episode that had interviews and the story.
         Signed, The President is a very interesting and funny book. Its a book from The Neighborhood Story Project and I think its really nice how they let high school students write books about their lives. Kenneth Phillips is a very cool and funny dude. He has been through alot, like the death of his family members and hurricane Katrina. But,  he still has the energy to smile. Him and his brothers were "Gangstas" they were super funny.
Tues. Research and Annotating . 30 min. 10 min reading
Wedn. Research and Annotating. 30 min. 10 min reading
Thurs. Signed . 25 min
Fri. Research 40 min.
        

Free Post: MLK and MLK Day

        Martin Luther King was a very adroit man, who was militant for equality for everyone. He did'nt do things like march, preach, and have speeches to help himself, but to help others. He did those things for the people who were also facing inequalities, for African Americans as a whole. He wanted equal transportation, equal education, equal living, he wanted everyone to be treated equally. He didnt want anyone to be judged or treated unfairly, because of their race, the color of their skin, or their descendants. Martin Luther King did these things not in a country or time where everyone wanted equality. He did these things while being affronted with words, which were very raucous.
        Martin Luther King day, is a great holiday, and it means alot to people and communities. Its a day where people's are off of work and school, and they dont just sit around the house. They go volunteer and do something to help someone else. People go donate things, like food and clothing. Some volunteer and donate their time, you can go clean up buildings or streets, go help with an event or go help clean a school. I chose to go volunteer at this years MLK Day of service and I went go help paint classrooms at Istrouma High. It was a very tiring and dirty experience,  but I was really nice to do something for another group of people.

Reading Response: Legal Muscle

        Steroids are definantly not anything you want to do and I  never plan on doing them. Steroids can be peals, a liquid, or a shot, but they all try to enhance your strength or endurance in some way. Although they might not work everytime, they are doing something. They are hurting your brain, heart, and can cause problems with different body parts. There have been many people who have died from taking steroids.
        If steroids can do all these things, why do people still take them. They can end your career and your life. Is being stronger or faster worth your life? Steroids are ilegal in professional sports, but there is always some athletes who use them. Athletes like Lance Armstrong, Ben Johnson, and Marion Jones were all champions, and all had world records that were striped of them. Because they were tested positive for steroids. Why use them, the end outcome is not worth it.

Mon. 30 min. Legal Muscle pgs. 1 -23
Tuesday 30 min. 23- 49
Wednesday 20 min. 52 - 70
Thursday 25 min. 70- 87
Friday 15 min. 87 - 94
Sat. 25 min. 94- 114

Free Post : My Break

        My Christmas and New Years Break was very fun, I wish is lasted longer. The first days of my break were very "chill," I watched TV, played video games, and played basketball. Then, I found out we were going to Florida. I went to Orlando for a whole week with my family, and my girlfriend and her family. It was very fun and exciting. On Christmas Eve we went to Disney's Magic Kingdom and I had a blast. We rode rides like Space Mountain, which was very fun. We watched a Christmas Parade, they were dancing and singing, and the floats were very preety. Then almost at midnight we watched the Dance show, and Tinkle Bell fly out the castle's window. It was very beautiful, there were light shows, snow and I had my favorite people with me. On Christmas day we had alot of fun, we played basketball, fuseball, and went swimming. My girlfriend's grandmother cooked and it was delicious.
        The next three days we went to Universal Studios, the rides were humongous. It was very fun. There we rides like The Hulk, Spiderman, Harry Potter, The Mummy, The Dragon Challenge (the scariest), and Dr. Dooms Fearfall. It was a blast and we went three days straight. The hotel was awsome, it had an humongous pool, basketball court, arcade, exercize room and other interesting things to get into. The trip was fun, we did all kinds of things, had fun, saw amazing things, and I also met one of my favorite football players, Todd Gurley, Runningback for the Georgia Bulldogs. It was great. Another thing that was exciting was me and my girlfriend exchanging gifts, we both loved them. I got her some jewelry and she got me a Ralp Lauren Polo shirt and pants, it was sweet. When I got home I got my other gifts, I got a new phone, phone case, Beats Pro, shoes, clothes and money. My break was wonderful, but now we are back and school, and I plan on having great grades.